Shoprite Holdings has collaborated with non-profit Blind SA to develop voice navigation functionality to assist visually impaired users better access the Checkers Sixty60 application.

According to a statement by Blind SA, the organisation approached the Checkers team with a list of “priority issues” the visually impaired community had concerns about following the October 2024 relaunch of the Sixty60 app.

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“Since the app update of January 2025, [the app is] much more accessible,” said Blind SA president Christo de Klerk. “Not only did Checkers Sixty60 make technical enhancements to the app, but it also invested in upskilling its developers, product owners and testers on accessibility paradigms and tools, embedding a critical skillset and awareness in the team.”

Improvements to the app include enhancements to the onboarding process through new labels and control types. Control types are labelled elements that can be used to facilitate user interaction through accessibility tools. A major change to the onboarding process is the allowing of screen readers to provide clear guidance and to read back entered input during the one-time Pin verification process.

Checkers has also made changes to its product cards to facilitate easier accessibility. Quick actions for adding items to baskets and navigating directly to product pages have been supplemented with enhanced contextual information that is read aloud by screen readers. “User-created shopping lists can now independently be edited by a blind user and are in fact very easy to edit,” said Blind SA.

Other improvements

Other improvements include changes to the order summary screen, basket summary screen and product search functionality.

Traditional in-store shopping is an often-challenging experience for the visually impaired, who often struggle with finding products, comparing alternatives and navigating shopping aisles safely. Some stores supply visually impaired customers with a guide to assist them while they shop, but this is rare. For blind shoppers who happen to pop in when a store is particularly busy, shopping can easily turn into a dangerous and frustrating activity.

Grocery delivery apps like Sixty60 are a boon for the visually impaired. Often, however, these apps are difficult to navigate, or designed without visually impaired users in mind, turning what ought to be a more convenient experience into another source of frustration. Good design is the cornerstone of fluid, error-free accessibility.

Read: Checkers Sixty60 launches on the web – no app required

“Online grocery stores allow customers to pick substitute items in advance if the primary item is out of stock. However, for blind shoppers like myself using a screen reader, this seemingly simple task can turn into a frustrating ordeal. The biggest issue is that screen readers often do not provide all the necessary information about substitute items during manual swipe navigation – frequently, only the price is announced,” said Michael Taylor, a blind accessibility review specialist, in a blog post on Usable.

Blind SA lauded Checkers’ commitment to enhancing Sixty60 app accessibility for the visually impaired, saying the retailer serves as a role model that other South African companies could follow. Areas that still require attention on the app include bottom tab navigation, additional basket accessibility and further improvements to the onboarding process, it said.

“Although it has not been possible to iron out all accessibility issues as yet, Checkers remains in constant communication with Blind SA. Our hope is that other retailers will be as willing to improve their accessibility to ensure equal access for all,” said Blind SA member Nicole Roos. — (c) 2025 NewsCentral Media

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